Albino cobra caught in Thousand Oaks

This albino monocled cobra, which was on the loose after escaping near the 1300 block of Rancho Lane in Thousand Oaks on Sept. 3, 2014, was captured on the afternoon of Sept. 4, according to Los Angeles County officials. (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control)

A Daily News reader sent this picture of the loose albino monocled cobra being captured on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014, in Thousand Oaks. (Courtesy photo)

The albino monocled cobra that inspired both fear and humor as it slithered around Thousand Oaks was captured Thursday afternoon after animal control officials found the rare, venomous snake in the same backyard where it was first spotted days ago, Los Angeles County officials said.

With its glow-in-the dark scales seen in a grainy, Most Wanted-like surveillance photo, the cobra became a national media sensation. Twitter handles such as @albinomonocobra and @toakscobra pretending to be the snake quipped after capture: “It’s over folks, send bail,” and “These were the greatest 2 days of my life. Had coffee. Rented bike.”

State wildlife experts and Los Angeles and Ventura county officials nearly dubbed the reptile public enemy No. 1 as they warned local residents around the 1300 block of Rancho Lane in Thousand Oaks to be on high alert if they spotted it.

The cobra reportedly had a confrontation with a dog on Monday. The dog’s owner snapped a photograph of the snake and alerted officials.

Ten minutes after the snake was spotted on Thursday, Los Angeles County Animal Control officers climbed over a wooden fence and found the cobra coiled beneath a woodpile.

“The snake was agitated and it tried to strike at the metal pole as (the animal control officer) picked it up,” said Brandon Dowling, a Los Angeles County spokesman. “But it went off without a hitch.”

The cobra was placed in a wooden box and will be evaluated and housed temporarily at the Los Angeles Zoo, he said.

Dowling said while the situation was parodied on Twitter and social media, it raised public awareness about exotic animals. Not generally found in California, cobras are native to Southeast Asia. They can grow up to five feet long, and it is illegal to own one, Dowling said.

Dowling said the county is examining public tips and leads to find the owner.

“At the end of the day it’s a dangerous animal,” Dowling said. “But we are very happy with how it all turned out. The residents of Thousand Oaks can breathe a sigh of relief.”